Lamp Shade Project #2

Image: demilked

Continuing my quest for the perfect lamp shade, I have discovered the designer Edward Chew, who makes these stunning lamp shades from discarded tetra box drinks cartons. The design is an incredible example of how a waste product can be re-purposed into something that's amazingly funky and looks like a disco ball light for the 21st Century - and lets face it, who doesn't love disco balls?

Homemade Art Supplies Project

Images: Chalk - minieco, Watercolour - Oh My!, Glue - minieco, Clay - Etsy{New York} Street Team

The kids are back in school.

That means your child will need to get pens and pencils and pencil sharpeners and rulers and erasers and pencil cases and folders and copy books and school books and a school bag and a lunch box and a school uniform plus a hundred and one other things, adorned with either Spiderman, Batman, Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank, The Hulk, Dora the Explorer or Hello Kitty that magically, will somehow make your kid, in their own mind at least, amazingly cool to all of their other classmates, and for you, there is the added bonus of a headache in trying to achieve that impossible task.

Lamp Shade Project #1

Image: Lowe's Creative Ideas

They say the key to good design is the marriage of the old with the new, and so in my search for a funky lamp shade for a great but old fashioned floor lamp in the corner of our room, I have stumbled upon some weird and wonderful ideas, amongst the nooks and crannies of the Internet - some of which I will share on these pages over the next few weeks, hence the #1 in the title of this post.

And so on with the first.

(Tangle Free) String Wrapped Earphone Project

Images: Pinterest

Most of us are familiar with the story of the king and the poisoned well.

Everybody in a town, except the ruling king, drink from a poisoned well which was the only water supply. They all go mad and think the king is acting strange and unfit to rule. As they begin a rebellion, the king drinks the water and joins them in their madness. The people rejoice, for their king has regained his reason.

There have been a number of times that I've tried my best to avoid 'drinking from the well' but sadly, certain situations dictate that I must at least dip my toes in it from time to time.

DIY Bowling Pins Project

My brain has turned to mush.

How do I know this? Two simple reasons.
1. It's one year to the day that I took a years leave to become main carer to my one year old son.
2. My son turns two tomorrow.

That sounds like I'm blaming him and in truth, I really am. It's okay though, he's totally unaware of it.
He's only two.

Coat Hanger Coat Rack Project

Image: bhg

Just over a year ago I posted this article about repurposing an old ladder back chair as a bathroom shelf.

Image: Casa Com Decoração

It's one of those great ideas that lead to the term upcycling. The art of reusing unwanted items by converting them into something better. 

Chess Table Project

Image: instructables

The 2012 Olympics are in full swing and I can't help but wonder why chess is not included?

They say chess is the sport for the mind but what qualifies a sport to be in the Olympics?

Between 1984 and 1992, Solo Synchronized Swimming was a sport at the Games.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't solo synchronized swimming an oxymoron?

Paper Mache Elephant Project

Image: Ultimate Paper Mache

Why do people collect the things they collect?

Apart from the obvious motivations such as nostalgia, social interaction with other collectors, appreciation of beauty, investment and a need to posses a small part of the world, there is the personal pleasure of it.

I have one visible collection and it's not even really mine.

Sand Bowl Project

Image: Leetal Rivlin

"Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman I wrote a song for you  
About a strange young man called Dylan  
With a voice like sand and glue"

These are the opening lines to David Bowie's 1971 song "Song for Bob Dylan" and if you've ever wondered what sand and glue looked like, now is your chance.

Fire Lighter Project

Image: The Telegraph

You might think it's a bit strange for me to suggest a project that involves having to light a fire in July. Then again, it is summer, so obviously I'm thinking about barbeque's. Now you are thinking it's a bit strange because if you were to only look out the window, you're first thought would be - soggy burgers.

It's almost mid July and it's still raining. Not only is it still raining but I'm sure our house is not the only one to have had the "Will we give the heating a quick blast" conversation. The idea of summer is this. You use the money put aside for heating bills and spend it on holidays and ice cream. Simple. We shouldn't have to do both but it looks like this weather is here to stay.